A NAXALITE was killed in an encounter with the Gadchiroli police in Bhamragadh tehsil on October 2, according to a press release issued by the police. “An encounter ensued between the police and the Naxals in the forest near Kothi village in Bhamragadh tehsil close to the border of Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh on October 2 between 4.30 and 5,00 pm. The Naxalites fled after the police built intense pressure through retaliatory firing. A search of the spot after the incident revealed the body of a Naxalite, whose identity is yet to be established,” the press note said.

It added: “The search also revealed one SLR gun, one air gun, a mobile phone, blasting material and Naxal literature.” This is the ninth Naxal casualty in encounters with police in Gadchiroli this year so far. Of them, six were women and three were men. Only one policeman has been a victim of Naxal violence this year.